GHOST IN THE SHELL Gets Another New Anime Project From SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF Studio Science SARU
Ghost in the Shell is getting another anime project, and the studio bringing it to life has a pretty awesome track record. Science SARU, the animation studio behind Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and Dan Da Dan, is returning to the cyberpunk franchise for another animated adaptation of Shirow Masamune's legendary manga.
The newly announced project currently carries the working title The Ghost in the Shell, but details are being kept under wraps. There's no confirmed format, director, cast, or release date. A teaser visual has been revealed, though, giving fans their first look at what's coming.
The announcement arrived in an unusual way, as the news surfaced through a surprise flyer distributed during a press preview at Dover Street Market Ginza in Tokyo.
The event featured director Mokochan, who was signing autographs as part of a collaboration with clothing brand GEEKS RULE. Whether Mokochan will return to direct this newly announced project remains unknown. Bandai Namco Filmworks says additional information will be shared through the franchise's official social media channels.
This will be Science SARU's second trip into the world of Ghost in the Shell, following the anime series that premiered in July 2026 on Prime Video.
That series brought Major Motoko Kusanagi closer to her original manga roots, with Mokochan directing, novelist EnJoe Toh involved in the creative team, and Maaya Sakamoto voicing Motoko. King Gnu and millennium parade contributed the theme songs, while acclaimed illustrator Hajime Sorayama designed the title logo.
Science SARU is a great studio to have involved with this franchise. Its Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off reunited the cast of Edgar Wright's live-action movie while taking Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic in a completely different direction. The studio also scored a massive hit with Dan Da Dan, proving it knows how to translate wildly imaginative manga into great animation.
Ghost in the Shell began in 1989 in a special edition of Kodansha's Young Magazine. The manga later reached English-speaking readers through Dark Horse Comics in the 1990s before moving to Kodansha's English publishing line.
The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg operative working for Public Security Section 9, an elite counter-cyberterrorism unit operating in a future where technology has advanced to the point that human brains can be hacked.
Director Mamoru Oshii brought the manga to theaters with the acclaimed 1995 animated film Ghost in the Shell, which became one of the most influential science fiction movies ever made. The Wachowskis have cited it as an inspiration for The Matrix, and its futuristic imagery continues to influence filmmakers today.
Oshii returned in 2004 with Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The franchise also found success on television with Production I.G's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, directed by Kenji Kamiyama. That series took a crime procedural approach to Section 9's missions and introduced a generation of American anime fans to the franchise through Adult Swim.
Hollywood eventually took its shot with Paramount's 2017 live-action Ghost in the Shell, starring Scarlett Johansson as the Major, Pilou Asbaek as Batou, and Takeshi Kitano as Aramaki. Despite some impressive visuals, the movie faced criticism over its casting and struggled at the box office.
The franchise has since continued through animated productions, including Netflix's Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 and Science SARU's 2026 television series.
With so many different interpretations of Ghost in the Shell already out there, it'll be interesting to see what Science SARU has planned next. The studio has shown that it isn't afraid to take familiar material in unexpected directions, and Masamune's cyberpunk world offers plenty of opportunities to do something cool.
The big question now is what kind of project we're getting. Will Science SARU deliver another full television series, or could this be a new theatrical anime film?
Personally, I'd love to see what the studio could do with a feature-length Ghost in the Shell movie made for the big screen.